Camp Caesar PE Conference

Wow, it has been a long while since I posted some thoughts. I have actually been sharing quite a few things through my facebook page (www.facebook.com/ctriolet) but this might be a better way to share some thoughts with all.

Now, let's get to business at hand.....Camp Caesar PE Conference.Camp Caesar is a rustic 4H camp near Cowen, West Virginia. the conference is held over a weekend, usually at the end of May. This past year, I was invited to be one of the paid presenters along with two excellent teachers from Winchester, VA (Mac and JT) who presented together. We were given 4 presentation opportunities over the two days to share a variety of activities with the attendees. There were about 240 participants for the conference, interestingly enough about half were NOT physical education teachers (due to the fact the the University of West Virginia offers college credit for attending the conference.....smart!). It was a collection of classroom, special education, and resource teachers. There were even a couple of nurses.

What makes Camp Caesar special is the atmosphere. The rustic 4H camp gives the conference a more laid-back feel. The meals are held in a large hall with a huge collection of 12 foot tables and metal chairs. All the meals are family style and you know it's time to eat when you hear the dinner bell. Throughout the conference, there are opportunities to mingle and socialize (especially during "Social Fitness" which occurs nightly from 9p - 12a). There are break-out sessions, campers, a plastic duck race ("ducky derby"), a four-square tournament, campfires, and much much more. Along with all the fun, there were plenty of great sessions to attend and tons of ideas that could be taken back to any educational setting (I used about 10 ideas before the school year ended!).

If you are looking for staff development, college credit, and/or fun......Camp Caesar is the place to be!!

For more information about the Camp Caesar PE Conference, visit their website; www.ccphysed.org/301.html.


Chad Triolet
The "Noodle Guy"
www.noodlegames.net

Surgery to combat type II diabetes and obesity?

Last night I watched a report on the news about using gastric bypass surgery to help extremely overweight teens reverse type II diabetes. As I sat there watching the clip, I became disturbed by the entire concept. This is the lazy-man's cure to growing trend in the United States (and across the world for that matter). How are these teens getting so obese? Is this problem behavioral or genetic (I think we know the answer)? Is our society as a whole enabling this unhealthy condition? Aren't these children seeing pediatricians as they grow and develop? Don't they have Physical Education on a regular basis in schools? Are we worried about calling them "fat" or "obese"? Where are the intervention programs to help these kids (walking programs, physical therapy, nutrition and wellness classes, etc.)? What is the cost of the surgery? Isn't intervention a cheaper and safer alternative to a major surgery with possible life-threatening complications?

What troubles me the most is this concept that surgery is the answer to this problem. Has anyone seen the show, "The Biggest Loser?" They assess each participants wellness prior to beginning the exercise the program. Many of the participants have type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and signs of serious heart disease. After being involved in the EXERCISE program for a period of time, they are reevaluated and it is amazing to see how much these results change. Is anyone aware that regular exercise and lowering body fat will have similar results as this procedure. I understand that maintaining a healthy body weight can be a challenge for many individuals. No one said it was easy, it takes discipline, a basic knowledge of nutrition, making smart health choices, plenty of exercise, and time. Simply put, we need give these overweight teens an opportunity to be active in a successful environment that is fun, and allows them to make choices maybe surgery won't be necessary.

As I sit writing this blog, I am wondering if I am doing enough as a Physical Educator to help my students who are overweight. I have done walking programs, had before school and after-school exercise programs from year to year, but can I do more? At this point, I am not sure what the answer is but I will say that I think that society (especially the medical community) needs to take a bit more ownership regarding this obesity "epidemic". Sadly the future cost of our health care insurance is going to reflect this obesity problem and we will ALL have to pay for it!

For more information on the surgery and the study related to the use of gastric bypass with teens, see - http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20081229/surgery-reverses-type-2-diabetes-in-teens

Chad Triolet
The "Noodle Guy"